Swicy Olive Oil Cake with Orange and Chili Recipe

“Swicy” is a trending term for a best-of-both-worlds flavor pairing: sweet meets spicy. And just like our many other favorite culinary combinations (donuts and coffee, peanut butter and jelly, and burgers and fries) we can’t get enough. 

This olive oil cake certainly leans more toward the sweet side, but with a teaspoon of intense cayenne pepper mingling with honey and fresh orange zest, it offers something entirely different from your typical sugary dessert. Try this subtle recipe for your first foray into the world of swicy flavor. 

Olive Oil Cake with Orange and Chili Recipe

Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes 
Yield: 8-12 servings 

Ingredients:

Thrive Market Organic Coconut Oil Spray or another nonstick cooking spray
Zest from 1 ½ oranges
¾ cup fresh orange juice (juice of approximately 3 oranges)
¾ cups Thrive Market Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 ¾ cups Thrive Market Organic All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon Thrive Market Fine Mediterranean Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Thrive Market Organic Cayenne Pepper, separated 
3 eggs
¼ cup Thrive Market Organic Honey Bear
½ cup Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener
2 teaspoons Thrive Market Organic Powdered Sugar for garnishing 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Cut out a round piece of parchment and place in the bottom of the pan, then spray again. 

Zest 1 ½ oranges. Squeeze remaining oranges until you have ¾ cups juice (approximately three oranges). Combine juice, zest, and olive oil and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne and set aside.

Beat eggs, honey and monk fruit sweetener on medium-high speed for two minutes, until creamy and pale yellow in color. 

On low speed, alternate adding your flour mixture, then juice/oil mixture, until completely combined.

Pour batter into a prepared pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake will puff up and brown slightly on the top. 

Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove the ring around the springform pan and allow to cool completely on a rack.

Combine the remaining ¼ teaspoon cayenne and a couple of teaspoons powdered sugar and sift over top before slicing and serving. Keeps well for 4 to 5 days.